Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

Farewell to Josh New! 

During our Shabbat celebrations last Friday we farewelled Josh New, one of our amazing Informal Jewish Life alumni, who has been working alongside Mia Shapiro, for the last two years in the Primary School. Josh is moving to Perth this year to pursue his music studies and to take on a key leadership role in the federal Habonim Dror movement. We are very excited for him and will miss him greatly. Josh has been a wonderful leader and example for our students, working with student leaders, planning festival activities, running informal peulot and sharing his musical talents with us in our Shabbat celebrations – helping to create musical, ruach-filled celebrations.

Josh shared his thoughts on last week’s dramatic and action packed parasha, Beshallah, which tells of the Exodus from Egypt:

Josh told the midrash of Nachshon, the Israelite, who didn’t wait for the Red Sea to part before attempting to cross. With courage, determination and faith, Nachshon entered the water first and only when the water was up to his nostrils, did the sea begin to part and the rest of the Israelites followed. At the start of a new year, Josh encouraged all of us to be as courageous as Nachson – to have the faith and courage to try something new this year – to make new friends, start a new hobby or to ask more questions in class. Josh concluded by showing how he has taken on this message himself by being courageous and moving across the country to live in a new city. 

We wish Josh success, growth and all the best for his time in Western Australia and hope to see him again soon.

  
תודה רבה  and בהצלחה

Joshua New and Mia Shapiro

Welcome 2023!

As we mark the second week of school, it has been wonderful to welcome back our students and to meet the new people who have joined our school in 2023. We have been establishing the rhythms and routines that shape the Jewish life at Emanuel School; morning tefillah, Birkat HaMazon after lunch, Jewish learning through Hebrew and Jewish Studies lessons and Shabbat celebrations. We also welcome back Yigal Nisel, the former JNF Educational Shaliach, who returns to Australia and kindly came to school to run Tu BeShevat Seder experiences for some of our Primary years. 

A new year marks a new set of Year 6 Leaders across Primary School, including our enthusiastic Jewish Life Leaders who have already begun meeting, planning and leading Shabbat and tefillot. 

Mia Selby, Miki Garbuz, Joel Hersh and Orlando van der Starre